A variety of gaming devices currently exist for presenting games of skill and/or chance to a player. These games are presented based upon a wager placed by the player and provide the opportunity for the player to be paid winnings if the outcome of the game is a particular outcome.
One particular type of gaming machine is known as a “reel” machine, as the machine includes a plurality of reels carrying a variety of indicia or symbols. Play of the game involves rotation of the reels and, if the indicia displayed by the reels at a stopped position are a winning combination of indicia, awarding the player a winning.
These reel type gaming machines used to be mechanically operated, but are now generally electronically controlled. The gaming device includes a processing device including a random number generator. Randomly generated numbers are correlated to stopping positions for the reels. The position of each reels is controlled by a stepper motor or the like. Such an arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,419 to Telneas. If the generated random numbers corresponding to stopping positions of the reels are detected to comprise stopping positions which result in the display of a winning set of indicia, then the gaming machine is arranged to pay the player a winning.
Unfortunately, circumstances arise when a player may believe that the outcome of the game is a winning outcome, while the gaming device indicates the contrary. This may give rise to a dispute between the player and the game operator, such as a casino or gaming company.
Circumstances may arise in which there is a dispute regarding the outcome of the game. In general, these disputes are undesirable, since negative publicity may be generated regarding the game operator's alleged non-payment to the player. On the other hand, the game operator is only obligated to pay winnings when the outcome of the game is truly a winning outcome. In some circumstances, unscrupulous players may actually allege that the outcome of the game was a winning outcome when it was not at any time, in an attempt to extort monies from the game operator.
Unfortunately, no means currently exists for accurately monitoring or verifying the operation of the gaming machine. For example, the game operator may obtain data regarding the play of the game from the gaming controller. However, if a malfunction occurred, the data itself might be corrupt and only indicate the malfunction. Other security measures are sometimes thwarted by unscrupulous players. For example, gaming personnel may attempt to watch various gaming machines, but they can not watch all of the machines all of the time, and players may attempt to block the view of the machine if they attempt to tamper with it.
A means for verifying the outcome or condition of a gaming machine is desired.